• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.158-165
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• 1999

Effects of oral taurine supplementation (6g/day) on plasma concentration and urinary of free amino acids were evaluated in healthy female adults. Among twenty five female volunteers(23.6$\pm$0.3 years old) participated in the taurine supplementation program, twenty four subjects successfully completed the two supplementation program. Plasma and urinary levels of free amino acids were determined by using an automated amino acid analyzer based on ion-exchange chromatography. Two weeks of taurine supplementation resulted in a 65% increase in plasma taurine concentration (p<0.001), Changes in fasting plasma amino acid concentrations followed by taurine supplementation were not spectacular, and were all within the normal range for human aldults. Taurine supplementation significantly elevated urinary methionine, asparagine, hydorxyproline and phosphoserine excretions(31~280%), and significantly decreased the urinary excretions of isoleucine, glutamate and serine compared to the values prior to taurine supplementation. For almost every individual amino acids, 24 hr urinary excretion level was significantly correlated to the urinary excretion value expressed as nmol/mg creatinine(p<0.001). A significant negative correlation found between plasma glutamine concentration and urinary glutamine excretion level suggests that the decrease in plasma glutamine concentration might be associated with the enhanced glutamine excretion in urine followed by taurine supplementation.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.512-517
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• 1997

Antihyperlipidemic effect of taurine was investigated in the hyperlipidemic rats induced by feeding a diet supplemented with cholesterol (1.5% in diet), vitamin $D_2$(1.25 million IU/kg of diet) and cholic acid (0.5% in diet). The rats were fed the diet containing 1% and 3% of taurine for 8 weeks. The contents of the cholesterol and triglycerides in the serum and liver of the hyperlipidemic rats were increased as compared with those of the control group. Feeding taurine resulted in decreases in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The HDL-cholesterol level in serum was decreased in the hyperlipidemic rats, but by administration of taurine its level was increased. In the aorta of the animals, total cholesterol and triglycerides contents were reduced significantly by treatment with taurine. The contents of calcium in the heart of hyperlipidemic rats were greatly increased as compared with those of the control group. Treatment of taurine produced significant decreases in calcium contents in the heart muscle of the animals. These results showed that the hyperlipidemic states in this model of rats were reversed by treatment of taurine.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 1983

A mechanism of taurine transfer across the rat small intestine was elucidated by using the in situ recirculation perfusion or loop method. Taurine uptake was saturable, Km= 39.9 mM, and energy dependent, and required sodium. The close structural analogues, aminomethane sulfonic acid, .gamma.-amino-butyric acid, hypotaurine, and .betha.-alanine, reduced significantly taurine uptake when present in 10-fold excess. The .alpha.-amino acid, glycine, did not inhibit uptake. Hence, all of these findings lead to a conclusion that a carrier-mediated transport system for taurine exists in the small intestine.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.174-178
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• 1996

The content of anserine, taurine, and L-histidine was measured by HPNC in the muscle of mature(670~690g) and juvenile(80~120g) rainbow trout fatmed in Chungsun, Korea. The concentration of anserine and taurine was higher in mature rainbow trout than in juvenile, but that of L-histidine was lower in mature than in juvenile. When measured with the chemiluminescence(CL) assay, anserine and taurine showed very powerful antioxidative activity above physiological concentration rainbow trout. Taurine still showed antioxidative activity below physiological concentration, while anserine showed prooxidative activity below that. L-Histidine was prooxidative dose-dependently. In TBA method, while taurine showed very week antioxidative effect, anserine appeared very powerful antioxidant and L-histidine prooxidant at physiological concentration. There was no synergism between anserine and taurine and anserine inhibited prooxidative effect of L-histidine.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.281-284
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• 2000

Taurine is one of the essential amino acids for humans and many of mammals. It is produced and contained in fleshes, shells, plants and algae, but has never been found in fungi. We examined six mushrooms for taurine and detected taurine in five of them. Taurine was determined by an automated amino acid analyzer using ion-exchange chromatography, being eluted between phosphoserine as a distinct peak on the chromatogram. Fruit bodies of Flammulina velutipes contained $83\mu$moles/100g fresh wt. the highest level among them, Agaricus bisporos $65\mu$moles, Lentinus edodes $49\mu$moles, Pleurotus ostreatus $9\mu$moles, and Auricularia auricula-judae $20\mu$moles. Taurine was not detected in Ganoderma lucidum. As far as fungi are concerned, this is the first report of the detection of taurine in Basidiomyces.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.126-134
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• 1998

Our previous study demonstrated that dietary taurine or glycine supplementation significantly lowered plasma and hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in rats fed a cholesterol-free diet. In the present study, the effect of long term dietary taurine or glycine supplementation, for the purpose of preventing and/or treating of hyperlipidemia and other known biological functions, on plasma and hepatic free amino acid concentrations and profiles were evaluated in rats. Three groups of male rats(110-130g) were fed a control diet(CD), taurine-supplemented diets(TSD ; CD+ 1.5% taurine) or glycine-supplemented diet(GSD ; CD+1.5% glycine) for 5 weeks. Plasma and hepatic free amino acid concentrations were determined by an automated amino acid analyzer based on ion-exchange chormatography. The feeding of TSD for 5 weeks yielded a 444% higher plasma taurine concentration , and the feeding GSD for the same period resulted in a 143% higher plasma glycine level in rats compared to those fed DB. Hepatic taurine concentration was significantly higher in rats fed TSD(145% increase) compared to the control rats. However, hepatic glycine concentration was not influenced by dietary glycine supplementation , which implies that the massive dose of glycine entering the body was more rapidly metabolized or excreted than taurein. Dietary taurine or glycine supplementation resulted in similar changes in plasma free amino acid concentrations, except in levels of taurine and glycine. Plasma levels of histidine, lysine, phenylalanine , alanine, proline, hydroxypoline, $\alpha$-aminogutyric acid, cystathionine and ethanolamine were significantly higher in rats fed TSD or GSD than those fed GD. Glycine supplementation did not change hepatic free amino acid concentrations as compared to CD. Concentrations of most hepatic free amino acids were not influenced by dietary taurine supplementation with the exception of significantly higher levels of asparate and tyrosine(56-63% increase) and lower levels of histidine and glutamate(33-34% decrease) compared to the control rats. These results suggest long-term dietary taurine or glycine supplementation resulted in increases in most plasma free amino acid levels, but did not cause a characteristic change in plasma aminogram pattern compared to rats fed CD.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.5
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• pp.467-475
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• 1997

Although one of the major physiological functions of taurine(2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is the inhibitory action on the central nervous system(CNS), the mechanism of taurine in controlling the neuronal excitation in the CNS has been in controversy. Electrically evoked pEPSP and spontaneous activity induced by the perfusion of low $Mg^{++}-ACSF$ were recorded in the CA1 pyramidal cell layer of the hippocampal slice. To test the inhibitory effect of taurine on spontaneous responses, taurine was treated for 2 min at various concentrations(1 mM-10 mM). Taurine reduced the spontaneous activity by 22.2% at 1 mM, and 100% at 2 mM in low $Mg^{++}-ACSF$. Evoked response was induced by electrical stimulation of Schaffer collateral-commissural fibers. Taurine reduced the evoked response by 11.68% at 3 mM, and 24.25% at 5 mM. Even 20 mM of taurine reduced the evoked response only by 24 % after 5 min treatment. That is, the inhibitory efficacy was much higher in spontaneous activity than in evoked response. The $GABA_A$ receptor antagonist, 100 uM bicuculline, blocked the inhibitory action of taurine, while $GABA_B$ receptor antagonist, 700 uM phaclofen, did not. Taurine blocked the spontaneous activity in the presence of CNQX, and did not block the electrically evoked responce in the presence of APV. The results suggest that taurine causes hyperpolarization in the cell by binding to $GABA_A$ receptor and preferentially attenuates NMDA receptor-mediated hyperexcitation, leaving synaptic transmission unmodified.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.397-404
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• 2005

The propose of this study was to investigate taurine intake in formula-fed and breast-fed infants and to estimate the level of taurine of blood and urine in order to determine the requirement of taurine intake in infants. These results will be useful to suggest the guideline of requirement of taurine intake and may contribute toward the proper use of breast milk substitutes. Experimental groups were breast-fed infants (n=10) and formula-fed infants (n=10) of 20 normal delivery infants in general hospital. This study was longitudinal study from birth up to 16weeks (0 week, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks). The items of test were anthropometry(weight, height, head circumference, chest circumference), intake of taurine, taurine level of blood and urine in breast-fed and formula-fed infants. There were no significant differences between breast-fed and formula-fed infants in weight, height, head and chest circumference. There is a need for future studies of exclusive infants with larger samples to determine which growth pattern should be considered as the norm. Taurine concentration of plasma and urine did not differ between breast-fed and formula-fed infants. Taurine intake recommendations for infants is about 30mg/day from this study. This data will be useful for production of human-like formula milk and suggestion of an index of selection of a consumer in taurine.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.617-623
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• 2017

The vascular actions and mechanisms of taurine were investigated in the isolated human radial artery (RA). RA rings were suspended in isolated organ baths and tension was recorded isometrically. First, a precontraction was achieved by adding potassium chloride (KCl, 45 mM) or serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT, $30{\mu}M$) to organ baths. When the precontractions were stable, taurine (20, 40, 80 mM) was added cumulatively. Antagonistic effect of taurine on calcium chloride ($10{\mu}M$ to 10 mM) -induced contractions was investigated. Taurine-induced relaxations were also tested in the presence of the $K^+$ channel inhibitors tetraethylammonium (1 mM), glibenclamide ($10{\mu}M$) and 4-aminopyridine (1 mM). Taurine did not affect the basal tone but inhibited the contraction induced by 5-HT and KCl. Calcium chloride-induced contractions were significantly inhibited in the presence of taurine (20, 40, 80 mM) (p<0.05). The relaxation to taurine was inhibited by tetraethylammonium (p<0.05). However, glibenclamide and 4-aminopyridine did not affect taurine -induced relaxations. Present experiments show that taurine inhibits 5-HT and KCl -induced contractions in RA, and suggest that large conductance $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channels may be involved in taurine -induced relaxation of RA.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.155-162
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• 2005

The present study evaluated whether an exogenous antioxidants, taurine and $\alpha$-tocopherol, could, when added to the freezing extender, improve the post-thaw sperm characteristics, function, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and the level of lipid peroxidation (LPO) in frozen-thawed porcine semen. CASA (computer-aided sperm analysis), HOST (hypoos-motic swelling test), chemiluminescence using luminol and lucigenin and the detection of malondialdehyde for LPO was performed in frozen-thawed porcine sper-matozoa. The results obtained in these studies are as follows. While no beneficial effects of taurine and $\alpha$-tocopherol supplementation were visible in motility, viability, acrosome reaction, tail swelling patterns, and the generation of $O^{2-}$ of frozen-thawed porcine sper-matozoa, $H_{2}O_{2}$ was decreased by all treatments except taurine 50mM treatment. In conclusion the taurine and $\alpha$-tocopherol treatments during freezing reduced generation of reactive oxygen species and production of malondialdehyde in frozen-thawed porcine semen, and the ROS savangers may minimize various damages of spermatozoa during freezing.